TMMC Settles Sakura House Loan

Volume 5, Spring/Summer Issue — 2014
2014 — 2015
Upcoming Events:
TMMC Settles Sakura House Loan
May 30, 2014 (Woodstock, ON) –
Oct
FREE Estate
Planning Seminar 23
Toyota Motor Manufacturing
Canada (TMMC) has made a
new commitment to VON
Sakura House by donating
$355,000 to the hospice. It is
the single largest cash gift ever
received by VON in Oxford
County.
Handbags for
Hospice
It provides the final payment
on a loan generously advanced
by the County of Oxford in
2009 to support Sakura House
and its mission, closing out
the capital campaign that was
launched with Toyota’s initial
2005 gift to VON of the house
itself.
Jan
23
brought to you by
Toyota Motor Manufacturing
Canada
Hike for Hospice
brought to you by
Toyota Motor Manufacturing
Canada
May
3
What this gift offers to
us is the opportunity to
start the next chapter
in our fundraising in
this community.
Cindy Kinnon
VON District Executive Director
VON Oxford
101st Annual
General Meeting
June
(TBA)
For more information on all
our events, including
sponsorship opportunities, or
how to host your own event
to benefit
Sakura House, visit:
www.vonsakurahouse.com
or contact
Kyra McNamara, Fund
Development Coordinator
at 519-539-1231
kyra.mcnamara@von.ca
“We are here today to
celebrate and honour the
deep commitment of Toyota
to Sakura House and to the
community” said John
Goodbun, President of the
VON Oxford Community
Corporation, which led the
capital campaign to create the
hospice and continues to raise
funds to support its
(left to right:) John Goodbun, VON Oxford Board President; Brian Krinock,
TMMC President; and Don McKay, Oxford County Warden ceremoniously
tear up Sakura House’s loan agreement for $355,000.
operations. “We are truly humbled by Toyota’s leadership and
support. Sakura House would
quite simply not exist without
Toyota’s generosity and commitment.”
Toyota Motor Manufacturing
Canada President Brian
Krinock said about the gift “It
was really an idea to help them
do what they do well (deliver
hospice care). That way their
fundraising isn’t about Capital
Campaigning, it’s about the
operation of the hospice and
getting that money through to
help families”
“What this gift offers to us is
the opportunity to start the next
chapter of our fundraising in
this community” said Cindy
Kinnon, district executive
director for VON MiddlesexElgin and Oxford. “It will
mean that we can turn our
attention to securing the
$367,000 needed each year to
operate Sakura House, which is
free of charge to families. It will
also offer us the chance to raise
funds for other important
community supports, and that’s
something we are looking
forward to exploring.”
www.tmmc.ca
Patients & Families Appreciate Eric’s Way
Eric was a patient at Sakura House in the winter and though he loved to watch the snow
fall outside from the solarium room, he imagined families in future seasons enjoying not
only the beautiful hospice home, but the lovely landscaped grounds on a blue-sky, sunny
day. When he learned that the walkway was not fully accessible yet, he asked his wife Lori
to apply to the Shaw Foundation (the charitable arm of his family’s business, Shaw Media)
for a grant to pave the paths. The paving project took place in two parts and in honour of
its initiator, it is called Eric’s Way.
The fully accessible walkway now allows patients and their families to enjoy the beautifully
landscaped grounds almost year-round. On a stroll around the property patients can enjoy
the fresh breeze and the scent of sweet peas flowering on the vine. As well as watching a
variety of wildlife busy about their day — many birds, including doves; chipmunks; butterflies; bunnies and more. Families will continue to appreciate this lasting gift from the
Shaw Foundation for years to come!
/ VONSakuraHouse
Donor Dollars at Work
The 4th Annual Handbags for Hospice charity purse auction took
place January 24, 2014. Auctionista, Linda Leja and widower, Al
Myers (whose wife Karin was a patient at Sakura House) asked the
over 800 attendees to Fund-a-Need for the hospice. This unique
’reverse auction’ asked for guests to make a donation toward the
need for new recliner chairs for each patient room. The existing
Oxford County & Area Lions
Clubs Initiate Generator Project
Oxford County & Area Lions Clubs have initiated a Generator
Project to provide funding for a back-up power generator for VON
Sakura House. The Lions have committed their support to lead the
community in funding the purchase of a generator to power Sakura
House during power outages. Although the hospice has safety
protocols in place in case of a power failure, a back-up power source
will ensure greater comfort for patients.
“VON Oxford is extremely grateful to the Lions for their commit-
recliners are very worn in just 5 years of use and are often the preferred sitting and sleeping surface for family who are staying with
ment to VON Sakura House and partnering with us to lead the
Generator Project. Because of community partners like the Lions
their loved one.
Clubs, we are able to implement a capital purchase outside of our
annual fundraised operating budget of $367,000 required to
The Fund-a-Need left the Bag Ladies of Oxford event committee in
awe of the generosity of the women attending Handbags for Hospice
— raising $19,000 in just 5 minutes! The proceeds exceeded the
need for replacing the recliners so the remainder was directed to
other needed improvements for patient comfort at the hospice.
Here’s an inventory of what was purchased:
10 leather recliners & 10 mattress protectors ..……. $5841.14
Custom light filtering blinds……………………….………….$6428.62
For expansive windows to better manage indoor temperatures
22 luxury sheet sets…………………………………….……….… $1495.83
A generous stock of beautiful soft sheets for patient beds
Sit-to-Stand patient lift……………………………….……….… $2260.00
Non-slip floor mats……………………………….……………...… $108.36
(The remaining funds have been allocated to hospice improvement needs
throughout the year)
maintain Sakura House” said John Goodbun, chair of the VON
Oxford Community Corporation.
“The Lions are pleased to initiate this project. We believe there is a
necessity to provide continuous comfort for palliative patients at
Sakura House in case of the loss of electricity” said Jack Broadfoot,
Thamesford Lion and spokesperson for the Oxford County
& Area Lions Clubs. “This is a
wonderful opportunity for us
to collaborate together and give
back to the community. We
Representatives of Lions Clubs of look forward to our continued
Oxford & Area announce their partnership.”
commitment to fund a back-up
generator for Sakura House.
Charitable Registration #11928 4776 RR0001